Posted on 01/22/2008 6:30:21 PM PST by TigerLikesRooster
Rice Slams US Envoy's NKorea Criticism
By FOSTER KLUG – 2 hours ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Tuesday sharply rebuked a fellow member of the Bush administration who criticized international negotiations aimed at persuading North Korea to scrap its nuclear weapons program.
Rice said that Jay Lefkowitz, President Bush's special envoy on North Korean human rights, "doesn't know what's going on in the six-party talks, and he certainly has no say on what American policy will be in the six-party talks."
Lefkowitz said Thursday that the North is not serious about disarming and probably still will have its nuclear weapons when the next U.S. president takes over in January 2009, despite four years of nuclear disarmament talks by the United States, the Koreas, Japan, China and Russia.
The Bush administration has been working to distance itself from the rare public criticism of administration policy by a government official. The comments come at a time when the nuclear talks have reached an impasse, and the North has missed a promised deadline and increased its hostile rhetoric.
Rice, speaking with reporters on her way to Germany for talks on Iran's nuclear program, said that she knows where Bush stands on North Korean policy, "and I know where I stand, and those are the people who speak for American policy."
Asked if she thought the Chinese and Russians would be confused by Lefkowitz's comments, Rice said she doubted they would even recognize the special envoy's name.
North Korea has responded strongly in the past to critical U.S. comments, and Lefkowitz has been a frequent and harsh critic of the North's treatment of its citizens.
The North's Minju Joson newspaper said in a commentary Tuesday that American "hard-line conservative forces" are trying to "stifle" North Korea.
The Bush administration's early tough stance on North Korea has given way to a push for a nuclear deal. Officials have been reluctant to criticize the North for fear of unraveling the delicate nuclear negotiations.
The North missed an end-of-2007 deadline to declare all its nuclear programs. But the chief U.S. envoy to the nuclear talks, Christopher Hill, has said he hopes the North's declaration eventually will serve as a road map for dismantling its atomic programs by the end of 2008.
North Korea accused the United States on Tuesday of failing to meet its commitments and blamed Washington for the slow progress in the nuclear disarmament deal.
The North's Minju Joson said the United States had failed to fulfill its promise to remove North Korea from U.S. terror and trade blacklists by the end of 2007 under the six-nation agreement.
State Department spokesman Gonzalo Gallegos, responding to the North's claims, said the United States "has met and is meeting its commitments."
"We urge North Korea to deliver a complete and correct declaration of all its nuclear programs," he told reporters. He said removing the North from the U.S. terrorism list, a main North Korean goal, is linked to North Korean progress on meeting its commitments to disarm.
Dell Dailey, the State Department's counterterrorism chief, told reporters that North Korea appears to have complied with the criteria needed to be removed from the U.S. terror list.
Yes, they do.
Dell Dailey, the State Department's counterterrorism chief, told reporters that North Korea appears to have complied with the criteria needed to be removed from the U.S. terror list.
We are in trouble.
he certainly has no say on what American policy will be in the six-party talks
That is the problem. That Sunshine Condi has too much say on American policy, and Lefkowitz does not.
Again U.S. demonstrates convincingly that ther is no stick whatsoever but just carrots for N. Korea. What is the incentive for N. Korea to be accommodating? She makes things worse by getting personally angry at Lefkowitz. Doesn't it give the impression of hapless America at vast disadvantage?
I wish Sunshine Condi could be as half as tough on N. Korea as on Lefkowitz. I do know, however, that it would never happen. I have no respect for people slapped around by thugs but angry at those who urge them to be tough. If Lefkowitz is another Kim Jong-il, I suspect Condi would be quite understanding.
Ping!
Must be something in the water over at the State Department. Sad how much Rice has changed since going there.
There was so much hope for Condi early on, talk of her being the nominee in ‘08. Notice there isn’t a peep of that now.
Condi the Piano-Playing Appeaser no doubt wants to drive out Lefkowitz pronto.
After all, the North Korean people have already been sold out by Condi and her boss, can’t have anybody screwing up the deal now, right?
Jimmah Bush is going to get a legacy, but it won’t be the one he’s hoping for.
Yep, she was one of my favorites early on for future President, then someone (Condi) pulled the handle and flushed her down the toilet. She went from a strong individual to a woos in a matter of months. What a disappointment. ;-(
Can’t wait for her autobiography … to explain it all.
Condi often reminds me of Notsobright. I guess they are part of the same State Department subculture. I shall always remember her applauding while nodding her head with approval when her boss declared that Islam was a ROP. Ms. Rice, why don’t you spend a week in Saudi incognito? I forgot, you could never get in by yourself.
Condi dear, you may think it’s more convenient to shoot the messenger, but it would be far better for our country and the world if you spend your last year in office forgetting about liberal PC fantasies re North Korea, the Pali-Nazis, Middle Eastern appeasement of Iran, etc. etc. Forget about any “peace process” that involves pressuring Israel for more concessions, and forget about trusting North Korea and China to do the right thing.
Focus upon taking a tough, rigorous line with our enemies and getting more of our (sometime) friends to stand up too.
Why do I think that scenario is just as much of a fantasy as all the naive liberal blather about “negotiations” with Iran and North Korea, etc.???
“Rice said that Jay Lefkowitz, President Bush’s special envoy on North Korean human rights, “doesn’t know what’s going on in the six-party talks, and he certainly has no say on what American policy will be in the six-party talks.””
Neither of which means he is wrong in what he says.
The US has zero credibility with the entire DPRK issue, but the options on the table have never been anything but (a very nasty regional) war or pretend to make deals and hope something breaks from within the regime.
There were reports that Bush had gotten Chinese support (UN? I don’t recall the details) for the Iraq invasion by promising not to attack DPRK back in 2003.
John Bolton for President.
Jay Lefkowitz for Secretary of State.
And on Principle.
This whole rotten crowd of appeasers in D.C. STINKS!
North Korea knows they have won the battle, and will now just wait down the clock until the next Administration. Thing is, they KNOW in Pyongyang how desperate Bush and Condi are for a Deal...ANY DEAL. And that is what places many people in abject danger.
So N. Korea's navy or its missile force pull another stunt, trying to make U.S. capitulate.
Better to be slammed by Rice than pelted with kimchee.
Condi has just become a bad joke, just like her predecessor, Maddy Halfbright...
Rice has been a complete and total failure.
She is earning the name of HalfMaddy Rice!
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